About NY Bandura

NY Bandura had its beginnings in the 1970s. Over the years it has supported a school for beginners and various performing ensembles. NY Bandura strives for the preservation and development of the art of the bandura, the ancient folk instrument of Ukraine, its promotion within Ukrainian-American communities and to the general public in the New York metropolitan area.

The bandura, a 55-stringed, non-fretted instrument, is regarded as the national instrument of Ukraine. Throughout time, bandura players in Ukraine preserved the history of the Ukrainian people through epic ballads known as ‘dumas’. During the brutal Stalinist occupation of Ukraine, bandurists were rounded up and executed in order to erase the memory of Ukraine’s history, but the bandura has survived to this day. NY Bandura keeps this tradition alive for future generations of Ukrainian-Americans.

The Bandura Downtown concert series showcases the versatility of the instrument. Four Bandura Downtown concerts occur each season, and utilize guest performers in the New York area as well as in-house performers. Many of these performances are programmed in conjunction with exhibits at the Ukrainian Museum, the current home of the series.

Additionally, NY Bandura seeks to expand the repertoire of the bandura into other genres by blending traditional bandura music with other musical instruments such as jazz guitar, flute, mandolin, lute and percussion. NY Bandura performers have been joined by non-Ukrainian artists from genres as varied as baroque and ancient music to kletzmer. These performances help to place Ukrainian music in the context of the world’s musical heritage.

Please help us continue to provide first-rate programming through your generous support.